Chipsets with our own IP a key objective towards Viksit Bharat: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways and IT, has praised the innovative efforts of Indian startup Mindgrove Technologies in the development of secure Internet of Things (IoT) chips. He emphasized that creating chipsets with indigenous intellectual property (IP) is a crucial milestone in the nation's quest for a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India). In a recent post on social media platform X, Vaishnaw highlighted Mindgrove’s achievement in securing funding through the government's Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme. This initiative provides reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible expenses for Indian firms involved in chip design, marking a significant step in supporting domestic technological advancements. The minister stated, “Bharat steps up efforts to be a product nation. Chipsets with our own IP is an important objective in this journey.” He elaborated on the DLI scheme’s role in promoting startups that innovate and design chips, noting that Mindgrove Technologies has utilized this support alongside expertise from IIT-Madras to create secure IoT chips. These chips cater to various applications, including CCTV systems and Industry 4.0 technologies. Vaishnaw pointed out that the high-performance microcontroller system-on-chip developed by Mindgrove will provide reliable solutions for strategic industries. Founded in 2021 and incubated at IIT-Madras, Mindgrove launched its first IoT chip in 2024, targeting devices like smartwatches and home appliances. The startup has benefited from the DLI scheme, securing Rs 15 crore in funding for the design and production of its new “Vision SoC,” which is designed for high-performance edge computing and vision processing tasks. The push for indigenous semiconductor design is gaining significant traction nationwide. During his 79th Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Made-in-India semiconductor chips are expected to hit the market by the end of 2025. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved four semiconductor projects worth Rs 4,600 crore, with two projects allocated to Odisha and one each to Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. With these developments, India has now sanctioned ten projects under the India Semiconductor Mission across six states.